1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a device for retaining a broken or detached excavator bucket tooth connected to the bucket to prevent loss of the tooth or tooth adapter into the material being excavated.
2. Background
In excavating certain mineral values such as coal and other useful materials, the loss of certain parts of the excavating equipment such as the detachable excavating bucket teeth into the excavated material can cause severe operational problems with the material processing equipment. For example, in the excavation of coal, the hard metal excavator bucket tooth and/or tooth adapter, if lost into the coal during excavation, can severely damage the coal crushing and processing equipment.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,118,756 to Beecher and 1,652,059 to Skinner disclose combination rod and taut cable mechanisms to prevent the loss of well drilling tools. However, there has been a long, unfulfilled need to provide suitable means for preventing loss of the excavating teeth and adapter members for said teeth, which are arranged along the leading edge of excavating buckets and the like and, in particular, means which will prevent loss of a tooth and/or adapter while alerting the machine operator that the tooth and/or adapter has failed. The present invention provides a unique solution to this need.